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Taking time to answer the call

This musical shines light on the dark side of
volunteerism, says Fiona Scott-Norman.

IT'S when we're most desperate that we have our eureka moments.
Rock bottom is the environment most conducive to brilliant flashes
of creative genius, not sitting on our cushiony rear ends watching
the TV and negotiating our fifth slice of cheesy-crust pizza.

Tracy Harvey, one of Australia's most-loved comediennes, was
surprised to find the genesis for her latest project at the point
her career was at its bleakest. Needing work and unable to muster
the intestinal fortitude to take on more waitressing, Harvey signed
on at a charity call centre. She stuck it out for only six weeks,
but left with copious notes and observations that eventually became
Call Girl the Musical, a full-scale production with 23
songs. It stars Harvey and Neighbours actor Alan Fletcher,
and opens tonight at the Phoenix Theatre.

"I didn't want to do cleaning or waitressing any more, and I
thought I could use my voice without being recognised," says
Harvey, who was an integral part of the musical comedy group the
Whittle Family in the 1970s, and a regular performer on radio show
Punter to Punter and television shows The Comedy Company, Hey
Hey It's Saturday and The Gillies Report.

"I started taking notes between calls," says Harvey. "The call
centre culture was fascinating. I thought it would make a great
sitcom."

Script editor Doug Macleod persuaded Harvey that Call
Girl was a musical, not a sitcom, and the result is a
production that gives Harvey a starring role as Jean Brown, a
compulsive volunteer, who finds herself falling in love with a
hard-nosed salesman (played by Fletcher). The show is a massive
enterprise, using more than 60volunteers, and features voiceovers
from Bert Newton and Steve Vizard, direction by Bryce Ives, and
Hunters and Collectors trumpet player Jack Howard (and founder of
the Elwood Dads' Band) as musical director.

Harvey describes the musical as a love story and, given her
trademark headlights smile and enthusiastic nature, it would be
reasonable to assume that Call Girl is fairly saccharine.
Not so, she says.

"I originally wanted Jean to stay the same, good and altruistic,
throughout the show, but Doug challenged me and said, 'Let's turn
her into a bitch from hell,"' she says.

"So we did, and he was absolutely right. It's made sure the show
has a tough spine. Her marriage has broken down because she
volunteers for everyone else and neglected her family, so she
toughens up, and by the end she's maniacal and just wants to make
money."

Call Girl is populated by large, recognisable
characters; Anton, the team leader, is being sexually harassed by
the predatory boss, Samantha. Fellow worker Courtney is young,
blonde and ambitious, and Frank (Jean's eventual beau), is a jaded,
once-great salesman.

"It's contemporary, Australian, and relevant to any workplace,"
says Harvey. "The biggest employer in the CBD is a call centre, and
call centres are the factories of the future. No one welcomes a
call from them, they're the lowest of the low. Scum of the earth.
It's fun reversing that, going into it and seeing what keeps them
going. They have these militaristic, army-style, motivational
warm-ups, and games of trivia just to get everyone involved."

There is an irony at the heart of Call Girl the
Musical; it is a show that shines light on the dark side of
volunteerism, while only existing because of the efforts of many
dozens of volunteers. Harvey is awake to this, and at heart clearly
comes down on the side of the volunteers.

"The motto in the show is 'Helping Helps Heaps', and in fact
that's what everyone's adopted. It's not Cats or
Oklahoma!. We're making it here in Elwood. My dentist has
put in dough. It's special when it's local, people want to help.
I've got a seriously good team, and this wouldn't be half the show
without them."

Call Girl the Musical is at the Phoenix Theatre, 101
Glen Huntly Road, Elwood, until October 31.

1224351405682-theage.com.auhttp://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/taking-time-to-answer-the-call/2008/10/23/1224351405682.htmltheage.com.auThe Age2008-10-24Taking time to answer the callEntertainmentArts